


Independence Day

by Kai517_TeenWriter



Series: Holiday One-Shots: Co-Ladies-In-Waiting [6]
Category: Tangled (2010), Tangled: The Series (Cartoon)
Genre: At Least With Me, Co-Ladies-In-Waiting, F/M, Fluff, Fourth of July, It's Almost Always Fluff, Marriage Proposal, One Shot, Romantic Fluff, hot air balloon rides
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2018-08-31
Packaged: 2019-07-05 01:24:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15853377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kai517_TeenWriter/pseuds/Kai517_TeenWriter
Summary: Varian decides to surprise Cassandra for Independence Day.





	Independence Day

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this one on the actual fourth of July this year, while I was on vacation. While we were out eating that evening, we spotted a hot air balloon floating through the air and BAM! I was inspired. (It doesn't hurt that my rewatch schedule also happened to land on both Great Expotations and Under Raps that night).

"Seriously, Varian," Cassandra laughed, "what's going on? What do you have up your sleeve right now?"

Varian chuckled, gently squeezing her hand. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now, would it, milady?"

He was currently leading a blindfolded Cass through the village-- he had put thick paper into his goggles and asked her to wear them and trust him as he led her to a surprise-- and was very excited about this all. Cass... Well, it took a _ton_ of pleading on Varian's part until she finally caved.

She pouted a little, trying to nudge him with her shoulder. " _Fine._ Have it your way."

"Thank you. I will."

Though she couldn't see it, Cass knew that Varian was grinning at her as he adjusted himself so that his arm was casually slung across her shoulders. He pulled her a little closer, gently kissing her cheek before he resumed walking.

A few minutes later, he stopped and let go of her for a minute. She could hear him climbing up something before jumping into something else. And then she felt him take both her hands in his.

"Okay, Cass," Varian said, "I need you to listen and do as I say. You got that?"

She snorted. "Do I have a choice?"

"Nope!" he exclaimed cheerfully before starting to explain, "okay, so, there's a small set of stairs in front of you-- three stairs, to be exact-- so just take three steps up."

"What if...?"

"Nothing's going to happen to you, Cassie," he assured her, "do you think I'd ever let something happen to you? I'm right here; I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Just trust me, okay?"

Cass nodded and, gathering her courage, took the first step up. Then the second. The third. From there, Varian put his hands around her waist and lifted her into... Whatever he was in.

Once her feet touched the ground surface, Varian lifted the goggles from her face, perching them atop her head so that she looked almost like he did whenever he wore them. She giggled-- actually  _giggled!_ \-- and leaned in to kiss him.

When they pulled apart, Varian was grinning from ear to ear. He then reached up and slightly behind him, tugging at a handle. Suddenly, they were slightly airborne.

That's all that it took for Cassandra to realize that they were in a hot air balloon. She shuddered a little, trying not to remember her previous experience with hot air balloons.

 _It's different now,_ she had to remind herself,  _I'm with Varian now; I'll be fine._

But she couldn't just  _pretend_ that her panic level wasn't slowly increasing. She shuddered again, leaning into Varian's touch. He gave her an inquisitive look but shrugged it-- whatever  _it_ was-- off. Cassandra would open up to him about it if she so chose. As for now, though, he had to respect the fact that she would rather  _not_ open up right at that moment.

By now, they were far above the ground. Though she still wasn't certain about this, Cass had to admit that it was pretty amazing, getting to see the land she knew and loved from up so high. She was reminded of the time she had gotten to be a bird, the carefree feeling that came with it.

Cass glanced at Varian, smiling softly as she studied his expression. As he looked out at the sprawling country below, he grinned widely, his wide, blue eyes sparkling. Gosh, how she loved him...

He turned to face her, still grinning. He loved Cassandra so much, and she looked simply  _amazing_ with the sunset behind her, the wind ruffling through her hair... This was it. This was the moment he'd been waiting for.

Taking her hands in his, Varian studied her some more before slowly getting down on one knee. Cass gasped, causing him to grin, feeling pretty proud that he had apparently surprised her. One of her hands flew from his grasp, and, at first, he was afraid she was going to up and slap him-- she had a tendency to do that if she was scared or overwhelmed. But, much to his relief, she didn't. She just held it there, unsure of what to do with it.

Varian chuckled a little before speaking. "I... Cassie, I love you. I am  _so lucky_ to have you in my life, and I'm luckier  _still_ to get the opportunity to be your boyfriend, to get to love you. We've gone through so much together... And I want to have  _so much more_ with you. More laughter, more tears, more quiet moments that belong to just the two of us. I want children with you, Cassandra-- though that's one thing I'm willing to wait on, of course-- and... I want to live the rest of my life at your side. So... Cassandra, will you marry me?"

Cass smiled a little. "I... I want all of that, too, Varian. I want  _all_ of that... With  _you._ So... Yes."

"I...  _Really?"_

She laughed, nodding. He grinned, pulling out a small, indigo-colored band-- she immediately recognized the material as Cassandrium-- and slipping it onto her finger. He pressed a gentle kiss to the back of her hand before standing up and wrapping his arms around her waist. She put her arms loosely around his neck, resting her forehead against his.

"I love you, Cassie," he murmured softly, "and I'm never going to stop loving you."

Cassandra smiled again, leaning in to press a kiss to his lips. He chuckled a little, pulling her close for another kiss as, far below them, the fireworks began to light up the night sky.

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly don't know where the second half of this came from. Like, I always knew that I'd write a kiss with fireworks behind them, but other than that, nothing really seemed to come until yesterday, when everything began to come... And I was unaware of it.


End file.
